Sports : MMA is set to take over the Kingdom in July

Cambodia is set to host the second Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship in July, following the successful first event, held in Thailand last August.

The first Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship was held in Thailand last August. Photo MMA

Gordon Tang, vice-president of the Olympic Council of Asia and president of the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association (AMMA), confirmed the coming event in late April meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh.

Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, is a full-contact hybrid combat sport that incorporates elements of striking, grappling and ground fighting from many different fighting styles from all around the world.

The first Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship was held in Thailand last August. MMA

Originally designed as a means of determining which of the martial arts would be the most effective in an actual fight, modern participants typically train in a mix of styles, including striking arts like Kun Khmer, as well as the ground fighting techniques of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

During his meeting with Manet, Tang proudly shared how he has played a pivotal role in the development of the Kingdom’s sporting sector. He has provided both financial and technical support for the sports of sailing and gymnastics, and has also sent Cambodian athletes to China for further training. Tang also told the prime minister that he wholeheartedly supports the Kingdom’s hosting of the 2029 Asian Youth Games and urged for more sports to be incorporated into the event.

The prime minister is determined to build on the success of the 32nd SEA Games, which were hosted by the Kingdom for the first time in May 2023, by encouraging more international sporting events to be hosted by Cambodia.